Just a few years ago, million-dollar deals for a college player would have been considered impossible. Players moved to the NBA at the first chance they got. Now, players like Yaxel Lendeborg forego the draft to stay in college. Why? It pays better. Bruce Pearl had put his hat in the ring for Lendeborg’s signature. However, he has revealed how a 7-figure offer wasn’t even considered a starter by the now-Michigan star.

Months after his retirement, Bruce Pearl was back with Auburn basketball when it faced No. 6 Michigan in the Players Era Festival. Pearl joined TNT’s in-studio crew in October and was a guest analyst for the network’s coverage of the Tigers and Wolverines. While calling the game, Pearl, who is currently a Special Assistant to the Athletics Director and an ambassador for the athletic department, revealed inside information on Yaxel Lendeborg’s demands. 

“We lost Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell last year at Auburn, we went after Lendeborg,” Pearl said, “He’s a Dominican kid, played with Chad Baker-Mazara, had a great relationship. We thought a million dollars would be good enough to get him.  Didn’t even warm him up.”

Lendeborg eventually received a NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, according to CBS Sports. Some outlets push that towards $4 million, too. He was predicted to be the No. 30 overall pick in the 2025 draft at the time.

That gave him the incentive to earn as much as $2.7 million for the 2025-26 season, as per Spotrac. Therefore, another year in college it was, and that 1 million offer from Bruce Pearl and Auburn was truly a fraction of his eventual deal. After making the internal conversation public, fans were outraged and heavily criticized Bruce Pearl.

Bruce Pearl Blasted by Fans Over Yaxel Lendeborg’s NIL Demands

“Yeah, the best player in college basketball is worth more than a million,” a fan wrote sarcastically. Lendeborg led the American Athletic Conference in rebounds last season (11.4 per game) and was second in blocks (1.8). He was also in the top five in steals (1.7) and points (17.7). Lendeborg led the nation in double-doubles with 26.

So, if not the best, he was at least among the top players. Even PJ Haggerty reportedly received $2.5 million deal ($2 million base, $500,000 incentives) from Kansas. So, $1 million was never going to cut it for Lendeborg. The comments came while Lendeborg’s eventual destination, Michigan, was routing Bruce Pearl’s Auburn. Lendeborg scored 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists as No. 7 Michigan beat the No. 21 Auburn 102-72. 

Lendeborg’s journey to the transfer portal came after a strong two-year stretch at UAB. Before joining them, he played his first two college seasons at Arizona Western College, a JUCO program where he became one of the most decorated players in the conference. He collected NJCAA All-American honors twice and was named ACCAC Player of the Year in back-to-back campaigns, setting the tone for what was ahead.

UAB didn’t slow him down. He put together a stat line that very few players in the country could match: 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per night, paired with 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals. His efficiency, 52.2% from the floor and nearly 36% from deep, made him the centerpiece of their system.

His most explosive outing arrived during the AAC Tournament opener against East Carolina, where he delivered a massive all-around performance: 30 points, 20 boards, eight assists, four blocks, and five steals. That earned him the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award and another spot on the All-AAC First Team.

He also rewrote the record books, collecting 420 rebounds, the highest total ever recorded by a UAB player and the most in AAC history. With numbers like that, it’s only natural that his market value has climbed.

Another fan brought up Pearl’s shady past when he almost destroyed a high school kid’s career. “Never forget Bruce Pearl turned in a kid to the NCAA because he lost the recruiting battle. F— Bruce Pearl,” wrote a fan. So the story goes like this. A 27-year-old Pearl was an assistant coach at the Hawkeyes and was tasked with landing Deon Thomas, a star at Simeon High School in Chicago. 

He was locked in a battle with Illinois and its assistant, Jimmy Collins. Thomas chose Illinois, but Pearl suspected some under-the-table dealings. He recorded a call in which he inferred that Illinois had offered him a car and $80,000. He reported that to the NCAA, which was never able to substantiate the allegations.

According to Thomas, Pearl had made some unethical offers as well, like keeping an informant in his high school and offering his grandmother financial assistance. Pearl was stuck in D2 because of the loss of reputation, fallout. Thomas missed one year due to the investigation, but played 4 years in Illinois. 

“Shouldn’t their interactions be private? if I’m an elite high school player, I’m not picking up the phone when Bruce Pearl comes calling. It’s fine if details later emerge once an agreement is made, but for the head coach to be spouting this info is… Tasteless,” wrote another fan.

The loss of trust is the ultimate hit in the recruiting business. Bruce Pearl should know that, since he has been in the college basketball circuit for so long. He revealed sensitive information on a broadcast that has the potential to damage Lendeborg’s reputation. Other players will definitely be taking note. 

“Pearl is a cheater… he ran out of money before NIL… that’s the problem,” accused another fan.

Beyond that story as an assistant, Pearl faced sanctions as the Tennessee coach in the 2010s. He hosted a recruit for dinner, then lied about it to the investigators. In 2011, the Committee on Infractions gave him a three‑year show‑cause order, restricted his recruiting during that period, vacated some wins, and hit Tennessee with probation and scholarship limits. 

In 2021, now as an Auburn coach, the NCAA placed Auburn on 4 years’ probation, and Pearl was suspended for failing to adequately monitor former assistant coach Chuck Person. Auburn was in the $8 million club reported by CBS, which fell short of the absolute top teams that spent $10  million plus. Kentucky had the highest reported value at $22 million. If Pearl wants a better team, he might have to opt for smart recruiting or bring more money to the table.